Viable boozing in Kings Cross April 19, 2012 JUST across the Thames from Parliament, a grand new English steakhouse named Gillray’s has opened in London’s County Hall, bringing with it an imposing circular cocktail bar with views across to Big Ben. Taking its name from a satirical 18th Century caricaturist, it exudes a fitting old-world gentility and commitment to everything English, evident in [...]
Will Windows 8 be smashing? April 18, 2012 Microsoft has announced more details about its hotly-anticipated Windows 8 operating system, which promises to streamline its products across your all your devices. The company says it will be the biggest overhaul of the world’s best-selling operating system since the iconic Windows 95. But what exactly will the changes mean for the average user? We [...]
Make or break for Microsoft April 18, 2012 Given all the publicity Apple receives, it can be easy to forget that Microsoft still controls 85 per cent of the operating system market (Apple has 10 per cent across both desktop and mobile). So a complete overhaul of Windows is going to affect the vast majority of computer users over the next few years. [...]
A WINDOW INTO THE PAST April 18, 2012 1985 | Windows 1.0 This is where is all started: when Microsoft made the leap from MS-DOS’s lines of basic coding to the boxes (or “windows”) that are still a staple of computing today. Cynics say Gates lifted the idea from rival Xerox. 1995 | Windows 95 A landmark for Microsoft, in which the rough [...]
The 911 Cabriolet is a roaring hit April 17, 2012 Conventional opinion among hardcore 911 fans is that the 911 Cabriolet is a lesser car than the 911 coupe. If the 911 is the world’s most accomplished sports car, why monkey around with it, especially when you know that taking off a car’s roof removes much of its strength. Without a roof a car becomes [...]
CAR TALK April 17, 2012 Volvo stays at the head of the safety queue Volvo has announced prices for its all-new Volvo V40, the first car in the world to feature an innovative pedestrian airbag to help protect pedestrians in an impact. The five-door, five-seat premium hatchback will cost from £19,745 on the road. The D2 version of the new [...]
Don’t get burned this sunny season April 16, 2012 Own Active Block Ball, £9.50 drugstore.com Sun cream is so 2011. This summer, spice things up with a sunscreen ball. That’s right, this solid sun protectant comes in a round orange container that is about the size of a tennis ball – it is ultra convenient and won’t leak all over your handbag. Lancaster Sport [...]
Eating late at night won’t make you fat April 16, 2012 FIT IN THE CITY AS YOU return from Easter, balking at the thought of bearing all on the beach in a few weeks time after the year’s annual chocfest, make sure you don’t fall into one of the clichéd diet traps. Here are my favourite weight loss myths – debunked. When you diet, your body [...]
Cate shines through the German gloom April 16, 2012 THEATRE BIG AND SMALL The Barbican *** LATE seventies German avant-garde theatre is not generally something I’d cross town to see, let alone spend money on. But for Big and Small (Gross und Kleine) by Botho Strauss, one of Germany’s most-performed playwrights, I’d make an exception. With the exquisite Cate Blanchett starring as Lotte, the [...]
Dean Street classic is reborn again under Jeremy Lee April 16, 2012 RESTAURANT QUO VADIS 26-29 Dean Street, W1D 3LL FOOD **** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE **** Cost per person without wine: £20-40 DEAN Street has a lot on its plate, so to speak, what with the hyped-up Dean St Townhouse, Polpetto and Duck Soup all within spitting distance. In the midst of all these staunchly squats Quo [...]
